SHEQ SERVICES · THERMAL IMAGING
We scan your electrical distribution boards (DB boards), switchgear, motors and plant with a thermal camera to find components running hot, before they fail, stop production or start a fire. You get a written report with a thermal image and a normal photo of every finding, showing what to fix and how urgently. We do thermal imaging inspections for sites in Cape Town.
Every business wants to produce more and stop less. Unplanned downtime is expensive, and an electrical fault that turns into a fire is far worse.
Most electrical and mechanical failures give an early warning: heat. A loose connection, an overloaded circuit, a failing breaker or a worn bearing all run hotter than they should, often weeks or months before they fail. You can't see that heat with the naked eye, but a thermal imaging camera can.
A thermal imaging inspection finds those components early, while the equipment is running normally. That gives you time to decide on the right corrective action and plan the repair for a convenient moment, instead of dealing with a breakdown in the middle of a shift.
Each problem shows up as a hot spot: a component running noticeably hotter than similar components under the same load.
On the thermal image, a single terminal, lug or breaker connection glows hotter than its neighbours. It usually means a loose, corroded or undersized connection, which an electrician should tighten, clean or replace before it burns out or starts a fire.
One phase, cable or breaker shows up warmer than the others feeding the same board. That points to a circuit carrying more than it should or a load that isn't shared evenly, so the circuit needs to be checked and the load redistributed or upgraded.
A motor housing, bearing or coupling shows up hotter than the same part on similar machines. It often means wear, poor lubrication or misalignment, and planning the repair now avoids an unplanned breakdown in the middle of a shift.
BMS thermal imaging inspections: distribution boards, switchgear and motors scanned under normal load.
Thermal imaging isn't required by law in itself, but it's one of the most effective ways to show you're keeping electrical installations and machinery safe.
| Law | Section | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 | Section 8 | Employers must provide and maintain plant and machinery that is safe and without risk to health. |
| Electrical Installation Regulations 2009 | Applicable provisions | The user or lessor of an electrical installation must keep it in a safe condition, with a valid certificate of compliance. |
| Electrical Machinery Regulations 2011 | Applicable provisions | Electrical machinery must be safe, properly protected and maintained. |
A thermal imaging inspection finds components running hotter than they should, which usually means a problem. In electrical boards this includes loose or corroded connections, overloaded circuits, failing breakers and unbalanced loads. On machinery it shows worn bearings, misaligned shafts, overheating motors and blocked cooling, often long before the item actually fails.
No. Thermal imaging must be done while equipment is running under normal load, because that's when faults generate heat. Panels are opened safely with your electrician or maintenance person, and production carries on as normal. That's one of the biggest advantages over inspections that need a shutdown.
Most businesses scan their electrical installations once a year as part of planned maintenance. Critical plant, high-load boards and equipment with a history of faults may need scanning every six months. Always re-scan after repairs to confirm the fault has been fixed.
We find, document and rank the faults, and recommend what needs to be done. The repairs themselves should be done by your registered electrician or maintenance team. Once they've finished, we come back and re-scan to confirm each problem is solved.
Get in touch
Tell us how many sites and DB boards you have, and we'll quote for a thermal scan.
